Petra and the Bedouins Bog # 8

PETRA AND THE BEDOUINS 

March 2 & 3

Bog # 8

Today we are picked up by friends, Diane and Jim from Seattle who are now living in Jordan and Israel. Diane, in an effort to help young children with behavior problems in the West Bank and has been training Muslim teachers and parents in the Incredible Years programs for 3 years. I am looking forward to hearing about her experiences. Her husband, Jim in an effort to be closer to his wife has convinced the new American University of  Madaba in Jordan to hire him to teach students about the interplay between technology and teaching and to help teachers understand that learning is about more than faculty lectures and student’s passive listening and memorization. We stuff one of our too large luggage bags into the trunk and the other in the back seat. Diane and I sit in back with luggage between us chatting about her efforts in the Holy Child School that I hope to see in upcoming days.

 Jim drives us south across the Desert Highway with speed and skill avoiding a near crash with a lorry whose driver seems to be momentarily falling asleep as well as a herd of sheep that don’t realize it is a road. The journey view reminds us what a desert is about – just a monotony of bleached sand with no trees or houses and occasionally some roads. I can’t imagine Petra occurring in this landscape or people even wanting to explore this area. John has reminded me early in the morning he might not walk very far at Petra because he was rather saturated of viewing ruins in Oman.

Petra (Greek word meaning “rock”) is either one of the seven wonders of the world or the eighth wonder depending on whose list you check. The city is hidden away in a deep valley behind a huge rock barrier. We begin with an amazing trek through a canyon with sensuous multi-colored sandstone rocks that I think are higher than the Dubai towers. (This is likely not to be true but the natural drama is far more thrilling and inspiring.) 

Rock colors are stunning 

Already I am thinking that if this is all I see I will be satisfied. Its grandeur exceeds all our expectations and I tell John that this is even better than Machu Pichu and he replies that it is not as good as Egypt. I argue the Egyptians had more people to do the work than in Petra (about 30,000 lived there) and he comments the Egyptians were working in ~2,000 BC  while Petra is relatively new being built Petra about 100BC to 100AD.  

Then suddenly through a narrow cleft in the rock we see the entrance to the city with the massive Treasury building carved deep into the sandstone rock face, with a reddish-pink glow.  Luckily it has been protected from the wind and rain, as it still in pretty good shape.  

Treasury 

We pass on to see the huge Amphitheatre and giant Royal Tombs, looking out over the valley.

Tombs 

Amphitheatre

Bedouin 

While I am amazed by the rock landscape both natural and man carved, I am also intrigued by the Bedouin tribe – the Bdul. They had been resident in the Petra’s caves for generations. While they were acknowledged as having traditional rights over park lands when Petra was established at a National Park in 1968, they were resettled into a settlement of houses on a ridge overlooking the valley 4 km away where there was electricity and running water.  This ousting of the Bdul sparked a battle and destroyed their traditional lifestyle of goat herding and agriculture.

 These Bdul men and boys look to me like Captain Hook’s crew with their headscarves, black beards, long hair, ear rings and colorful garb. They are ruggedly handsome until they smile and you see their missing and tar-stained colored teeth.  Now they surround us with their donkeys, horses, camels and small carts with persistent shouts of  - "want a taxi ride", "special price for a camel", "half price", "with my donkey it will save you time", "it’s happy hour", "take you to the Monastery only 5 dinars but for you 2 dinars", "meet Michael Jackson, he’s not a jack ass". 

"It's tea time, I think you need a break."

When we reply, "no thank you", they respond with acceptance, "okay maybe next time", or "welcome to Alaska". I respond, "maybe a little later, or tomorrow" and live to regret it because when we return the next day they seem to remember that I promised that I might do it the next time. 

They are disappointed when we again decline this offer for camel ride at a special rate. I suggest to John we said we might take the camel ride and he reminds me that this was not a contract. He has enjoyed walking and has not talked about being tired of ruins… quite the opposite in fact as he is excited to go back again the next day.

I talk to several of the children who are trying to sell me a donkey ride and when I say, "maybe tomorrow" they tell me it has to be today because tomorrow they will be in school. I am momentarily relieved to know they will be in school until the next day when I return to see the same children still working to negotiate rides and selling trinkets.  

I talk to one of the Bdul men and ask him where he lives. He points at the settlement houses high on the cliff but tells me he mostly goes there only to shower and change but prefers to live in the caves. He says about 30 families still live in the caves. I ask another Bdul man why the children are not in school and he tells me because the promise of making 300 dinars a month (~$420) is too attractive. Nonetheless, he seems to understand that they are not considering the long-term problem of not getting an education and blames the government.  I wonder how one would convince these people of the value of education.  

I have become fascinated with the Bedouin people and buy a book about a New Zealand woman (a nurse) who came to Petra on holiday in 1978 and fell in love with a local souvenir-seller and stayed to marry him and raise a family. 

I wonder if I might have done that when I was 22 years old, working as a nurse in Sierra Leone, Africa and in love with an African boy. As it happens I buy the book from her son who is running her souvenir stand while she is in Australia. He shows me her silver jewelry that she has designed with graphics from the surrounding temples (which is beautiful) and gives me his web site card. I tell him I am sorry I don’t have any cash to buy them and replies that he takes Visa! It is a little disconcerting that he looks like a Bedouin but talks exactly like a New Zealander. I ask him about his education and he tells me he has a university degree in technology from New Zealand, and that one of his siblings is teaching at the American College University and the other one is in Dubai doing film work.  Somehow this family has found a way to combine traditional life styles with modern living. As I look at all the Bedouins selling carvings and jewelry as well as running cafes and offering taxi service I see that they have been able to change. They are living in a magic place and I can understand why they don't want to leave. 

John tells me he hopes I don't leave him for a Bedouin.  Jim retreats to read the book Married to a Bedouin. They wonder what women are looking for.